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| Blind skier Choi Bo-gyu, right, competes in the 1.5-kilometer Para cross-country skiing event with the help of sighted guide Kim Hyun-woo at the PyeongChang Biathlon Center, Wednesday. The two athletes communicate with each other through wireless Bluetooth earbuds. / Yonhap |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Blind alpine skier Choi Bo-gyu finished the 1.5-kilometer Para cross-country skiing race with the help of a guide skier, Kim Hyun-woo.
Their partnership-based skiing came a day after the two successfully cooperated in the men's 12.5-kilometer biathlon race, touching the spectators packed at the PyeongChang Biathlon Center.
Choi was born blind. He and his skiing partner communicate thorough wireless Bluetooth earbuds. Choi is one of the three visually impaired South Korean athletes participating in the Paralympics.
Cheering fans helped them finish the race easily. The crowd at the Gangneung Hockey Center encouraged South Korea's sledge hockey players to do their utmost in their showdown against the United States on Tuesday.
Around 6,600 spectators watched the game and cheered on the Koreans. The hockey center has been packed with home fans during all South Korea's games. The South Korea-Japan showdown attracted 6,000 spectators.
The Paralympics has been enjoying the unexpected popularity, benefiting a lot from the Olympics that were held weeks before.
Paralympics reflect aging society
For Paralympians, age is just a number.
Out of 36 Paralympic national team members, 14 are in their 40s or older. The average age of the national team is 36.25.
The curling team has the oldest average age. All of them are in their 40s or older. Their average age is 50.8. Curler Jung Seung-won, 60, is the oldest.
All five curlers on the national team have physical impairments from accidents.
Bang Min-ja, 55, one of the national team curlers, said she was addicted to the sport since she first played it in 2004. She played the sport 11 years after a tragic car accident on her way back to Seoul from a summer holiday. Her car flipped and her legs became paralyzed as a result of the accident. She spent almost 10 years complaining about the mishap. But sport helped her to become a Paralympian.
Nordic skier Lee Do-yeon, 46, is one of the senior members of the national team.
She has transformed from a table tennis player to a cyclist to a Nordic skier.
She is preparing for another career transition for the next Summer Paralympics.
She will compete there in cycling.
Her transformation and passion for sports knows no limits. Many Paralympians like her are multi-talented athletes. Wheelchair fencer Jang Dong-shin, 42, plays sledge hockey during winter.
